Keep It Up: 3 Ways To Help Fix And Prevent Breast Sagging During Pregnancy And Breastfeeding
One of the unfortunate side-effects of becoming pregnant and breastfeeding is the change to the appearance of your breasts. During pregnancy, a woman's breasts get larger in preparation for feeding the baby. The ligaments and supportive tissue in the breast are also stretched during milk production after birth. Once your baby is weaned, you hope that your breasts will regain their pre-pregnancy shape. However, most women find this is not the case. How can you literally bring your breasts back up to their pre-pregnancy standard? There are a few things to try during and after pregnancy and breastfeeding to help prevent and mitigate sagging.
1. Invest in a great bra.
This advice is sometimes hard for pregnant and nursing moms to follow, just because the breasts change sizes so many times over the course of a pregnancy and during breastfeeding. Good bras can be expensive, and good nursing bras can be even more challenging to find. However, if you have the money to spend and you can find a bra that works for you, this is the best place to start. Start wearing the bra all the time; some women enjoy the freedom of going braless for certain wardrobe choices or when lazing around the house. With heavier breasts, going braless like you did before you got pregnant will increase the stretching of supportive breast tissue.
If you can't spend money on expensive bras, you still shouldn't ignore this tip entirely. Get yourself fitted for a the right size every few months at a bra shop or department store. You can choose bras from a cheaper retailer, but look for ones that have an underwire, padding, and inserts for push up. You might feel that, with large breasts, you don't need a push up bra to add volume, but the push up padding can help provide lift and support to keep your breasts from sagging.
2. Breastfeed with your breasts in mind.
Many women hold their babies on their lap to feed, and lean over to make the breast more accessible to the baby's mouth. This position pulls the breast in a downward motion, and as the baby empties the breast, the tissue relaxes in this downward direction, gradually pulling the breast down over the course of multiple feedings. Instead, use a nursing pillow to bring your baby to the breast instead of bringing your breast to the baby.
3. Consider breast enhancement after you are finished having children.
Sometimes, even after eating well, losing weight, and following the above tips, you will still be unhappy with the lost shape and loft of your breasts. You can get breast enhancement surgery to bring your breasts back to their normal shape and size. Breast enhancement can mean getting implants to increase breast size, but it can also mean lifting the stretched tissue and ligaments that were damaged during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor and a specialist like those at the Center For Plastic Surgery about enhancement options that will work for you.